


Feelings on Fire

by Janusa



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec and Magnus are counselors, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hopeful Ending, Hugging, I don't know how to tag this, Izzy is the real MVP here, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, SO MUCH FLUFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 02:16:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13965201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janusa/pseuds/Janusa
Summary: Camp Idris had belonged to the Lightwoods for three generations. Alec and his siblings had passed every summer of their lives there. It was their second home but for Alec, summers lost their thrill with time... until Magnus Bane appeared.Magnus worked at Camp Lycan, the camp at the other side of the lake and was everything Alec had ever dreamed and more.However, Alec knew Magnus could easily become in so much more than a summer love. How could they be together when literally half world divided them?





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my amazing beta, [bcnedrah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcnedrah/works)
> 
>  
> 
> for making this story presentable and advising me.  
> I don't have much to say besides, Happy reading!  
> *Chapter two will be up tomorrow.  
> **Lyrics taken from "Bad Liar".

 

"Tryna make it disappear

But just like the battle of Troy

There's nothing subtle here."

Alec was pulling arrows out of the aligned targets and picking up some others scattered on the grass that didn’t hit it. The giggles of a group of girls playing flew with the warm breeze across the archery field along with the faint sound of a bowrider engine becoming louder as it came closer.

Izzy beamed as she climbed down from her bowrider and onto the dock. “Guess who asked for you this morning?” she asked, as she jogged the remaining distance between the dock and the archery range.

She had a mischievous smile on her face. Whoever had asked for him, it could not be good for him.

He shrugged, not showing interest. “I don’t know, Loch Ness Monster?”

Alec turned his head to look at Izzy, who was giving him her most unimpressed expression - hand on her hip and all.

“Haha, very funny, _hermano._ ”

“What?” he asked, not really concerned. “You’ll tell me either way.”

Izzy ignored his comment, knowing it was very much the truth; every time she got any juicy information—and only God could know what she considered ‘juicy’—  it was impossible to keep her quiet. It was a fact, Alec had tried.

“You are no fun.” Izzy sighed, already used to her brother’s attitude. “Okay, Magnus asked for you, again.” now, _that_ called Alec’s attention, but if you asked him he hid it really well. “... he’s looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

Alec stiffened instinctively at the mention of Magnus’s name. That was all his sister said and she didn’t need to add more, her shit-eating grin spoke louder than words.

“Don’t you have something better to do?”

“Not really. My class starts in an hour. We can chat about cute, Indonesian counselors from the other side of the lake,” she commented, taking one of the arrows and rolling it between her fingers.

“Really, Iz?” Alec deadpanned and took away the arrow from her, putting it inside of a quiver. “I’m your brother. What makes you think I’d want to talk about him with you?”

“The brother part, precisely!” she exclaimed, pulling her hair back and wrapping it in a bun.

“I fail to see your point.” Alec could see it, even though he had never been really interested in listening about his siblings' relationships or romantic interests more than the necessary, he cared about their happiness. The problem is that if they talk about Magnus, it would imply _there is_ something to talk about and that is not the case, no matter how much Alec wanted it. However, there wasn’t a chance he was admitting it to anyone —especially not one of his siblings. “Now, with your permission. I have a class to teach.”

“Fine, but you low key admitted Magnus is cute!” Izzy practically screamed, already making her way back to the dock.

Alec pretended he didn't catch Lydia and Raj passing by, or their mocking expressions.

Instead, he returned his attention to the task of rearranging the archery equipment, quietly enjoying July’s sun on his skin and convincing himself his red cheeks were due to the strong sunbeams.

Camp Idris had belonged to the Lightwoods for three generations. Alec and his siblings had passed every summer of their lives there. It was their second home; they knew every nook and cranny of the five hectares that formed Camp Idris.

To Alec, summers were the best part of the year. He remembered that during his teenage years, he had constantly thought everything would be easier if summer could last the entire year.

Things at home were never perfect, nor peaceful, yet summers were like stepping into an alternative universe, where they acted distinctly; his mother smiled more often,  his father was more present in a summer than in the rest of the year, and they would always have dinner together. Inevitably, though, time passed and they had to return to the real world.

Eventually, Alec and his siblings had become adults and the moment to take different paths came in the form of college; Izzy went to Los Angeles, Jace chose Chicago, while Alec, reluctant to change, stayed in New York.

Nevertheless, he had moved out, and even when he felt a pang of guilt for leaving Max. It was something that couldn’t be helped; the relationship with his parents had become barely tolerable since he had (practically) fallen out of the closet when he was sixteen and his mother caught him kissing one of the fellow campers, Luca, behind the gym.

After that, his parents sent him to work in the kitchen, where he wouldn't go out till the end of the day and between meals. Luca didn't talk to him until the last day of camp, only to say goodbye, too afraid of Alec's parents telling his; he had had nothing to worry about, neither Robert nor Maryse Lightwood would have risked tarnishing the family name.

Still, the Lightwood siblings would return to camp every summer, no matter what.

The camp looked exactly the same as when his grandparents had bought it, a bittersweet reminder of how different Alec was now compared to the child that had once considered the camp home. However, some things had changed.

The end of the cold war of half a life between the Lightwoods and Luke Garroway -the director of Camp Lycan- was one of them. There was even a new tradition of which both camps were participants.

The tournament between Camp Idris and Camp Lycan was starting that day, well, it was more a kind of friendly competition than a real tournament in which the visitor camp stayed over during the three days the event lasted. Next morning, after breakfast, vans from Camp Lycan arrived.

In the very moment the vehicles stopped, hoards of overexcited children, ranging from eight to fifteen-years-old, stormed off of them. It was a familiar picture that warmed Alec's insides.

Luke descended from the last bus, with a polite smile on his face that changed to something more genuine when he spotted Maryse. Izzy had begun to suspect some time ago that there was something going on between them. Alec had nothing against Luke or the possibility of a relationship with his mother, he hadn’t reason to, but if that was the case, Alec _really_ did not want nor needed to know.

Alec along with other counselors from Camp Idris were prepared to receive their guests. Each counselor was holding a sign with their assigned group; Alec and Lydia’s was 8B. And, of course, that group had to correspond with Magnus’s.

Every summer since Alec had hit his fifteenth birthday, the thrill of Camp Lycan arriving had diminished to a monotonous point. That was until last year when Magnus appeared. The first time Alec saw him was last summer. Magnus was a waterski instructor like Izzy. They constantly crossed paths on the lake and had easily befriended from there.

On one of those occasions, Alec had been with her. To Alec's frustration, he had been too occupied opening and closing his mouth like a fish over Magnus huge biceps and how incredibly enticing the water droplets running over them looked to act like an actual human being.

After their first encounter, Alec had pretty good reasons to doubt Magnus would be interested in him. However, that night, when he took his cellphone out of the drawer he kept it during the day, he was hit with about twenty or so notifications from Instagram (which was weird because it had been ages since he posted something). Alec tapped on the app icon and found the notifications were from likes on pictures Izzy had tagged him. All of them were from the same person that had sent him a follower request; _magnusb._

Alec zoomed Magnus’s profile picture as much as he could, the picture showed him casually sitting in a half lotus position with a black cat laying between his legs.

_Magnus Bane._

_From Jakarta to the world._

Alec accepted the request and after two minutes of his finger hovering over the screen of his cellphone, he hit _follow_ and shoved it back into the drawer, resolved to not look at it until the next day.

Alec was still slightly (incredibly) embarrassed after that morning and his first poor impression.

No one could really blame him —better said, no one _should_ . Magnus wasn’t the epitome of decorum, as he learned not much later. Alec had had a rough time racking his brains to figure out if Magnus was actually flirting or mocking him. Magnus clearly enjoying his reactions when he called him _pretty boy_ or saying ridiculous pickup lines and innuendos that made Alec blush. Alec wasn’t a prude in any way, but Magnus… sometimes he was just too much (not in a bad way, though) but in a _he’s super extra and Alec didn't know what to expect_ kind of way.

For example, there was one time they were chatting, seated on the grass, watching the sun slowly disappearing behind the forest that surrounded both camps. Alec stood up, he didn't remember why, but  he heard Magnus whistling low and asked why,

“Did you sit in a pile of sugar?” Alec had been confused at the time, he even checked his cargo pants, thinking that maybe he had sat on something, but soon Magnus added, “‘Cause you have a pretty sweet ass.”

There was no way Alec could maintain a straight face at that. Luckily, Izzy hadn't been around or he wouldn’t have heard the end of it.

These kinds of interactions repeated.

There were also nervous 'hello’s, hurried looks, lopsided grins, and witty remarks. And yet, nothing happened. Not really.

What would have been the point? It wouldn't have lasted, _they_ wouldn't have lasted.

“Now I want all 8B children here in two lines! Five of you with Biscuit and the other five with me.” Magnus’s commanding words cut through the excited shrieks, yet were still kind.

His presence was imposing and alluring, even under dim sunlight morning, Magnus' skin shone like bronze.

This was one of the things that unsettled Alec the most; each time Magnus was in his field of view, he made him want to say the kind of things you only read in romantic novels or hear in movies, but that no one says in real life. Otherwise, you risk sound stupid, or ridiculous at best.

Alec and Magnus didn't talk often enough (mainly because of their different time zones) to be considered friends, but when they did was about stuff like university or their pets, nothing too deep. Their contact was mostly through likes and comments and sending greetings through Izzy.

Magnus had mentioned once he was studying something related to fashion, which was obvious from the pictures Alec saw on his Instagram account during the nine months they didn't see each other. On Instagram, Magnus wore daring colors and patterns on his clothes, accessories and makeup, every style expressing something different.

However, th Magnus that stood a few feet away from him talking to Clary, was wearing blue jeans, boots and a Camp Lycan T-shirt with his hair free of gel and face free of makeup, a very different picture from his more glamorous self. Like this, Magnus seemed younger, softer and equally breathtaking.

No matter what he was wearing, the sight of Magnus Bane always stirred things in Alec.

Lydia, who was standing by his side, elbowed Alec in the ribs, bringing him back to the present, just in time to see Magnus walking in his direction.

“Lovely to see you, Alexander, Lydia.” said Magnus, stopping in front of them, with a sway of his shoulders. “It looks like we’ll be together this time.”

All Alec did was nod since most of his attention was focused on the growing goatee around Magnus’s mouth that hadn’t been there a couple days ago.

“We could have a sleepover,” said Magnus with a devious smile spreading across his face. Even though his eyes shifted between Alec and Lydia, it was clear for whom his words were for. “Or something.”

“Yeah, sure. Why not?”

 _Really smooth, Alec. Bravo,_ he thought sarcastically, wishing his voice hadn’t sounded nearly as cracked as it did to his ears.

Magnus winked at him before going back to take charge of his group.

Lydia passed Alec to do the same and patted his arm. “You’re way too gay for your own sake.” she muttered under her breath, a little exasperated but there was fondness in her voice.

Alec and Lydia had been friends since they were children. Lydia was the only person he had told about his crush on Magnus (Izzy had discovered it by herself) and knew how useless he became every time Magnus entered in his range of vision. She also enjoyed, more than she ever would admit, mocking him because of it.

He inhaled deeply. This would be three long days.

****

The morning passed in the twinkling of an eye. Alec had been a great part of the morning in Magnus’s company (and Lydia and Clary’s). They hadn’t had many opportunities to talk after their morning exchange, though, both were too occupied setting the kids in their assigned places and with the preparations for the different activities of the day.

Now it was mealtime again, and Alec wondered, not without a little of admiration, how the children managed to run between the tables and dodge the staff bringing the food to their tables with so little room to move in the dining hall.

The kitchen staff had set up more tables, so everybody could have a proper seat instead of sit in other people’s laps as Jace had suggested —mainly, because of his brother’s inability to be more than at an arms-length distance from Clary, who now was sat with Lydia in another table with the rest of the children under their care.

It was a good thing that Jace was so busy working in the kitchen, otherwise, Alec would have had to put up with lovey-dovey looks and Jace trying to feed Clary because _“I made this thinking of you”_. Sometimes, it gave Alec secondhand embarrassment how smitten his brother was.

If Alec was being honest, when Jace started to date with Clary, he didn’t think they would last, no longer than what Jace had lasted with his past girlfriends.

It wasn’t because Alec didn’t like Clary (though it might have influenced) but because the odds were against them; Clary was Luke Garroway’s stepdaughter, which probably didn’t sound much of a problem, _now_. Their parents, more specifically their mother, were sworn enemies of Luke for something that happened when all of them were babies, Alec only knew it was related to Clary’s biological father.

Jace and Clary started to secretly date when they were fifteen. Truth be told, it was a very Romeo and Juliet-esque story. Jace and Clary keeping their relationship a secret had been a pain in the ass for Alec. He , had to take care of his siblings as the eldest brother and that meant he had to spend most of his days for almost seven months at Java Jones; a coffee shop run by the Lewis family, where Clary and Simon helped out Simon’s mom.

In a way, Alec was happy that he hadn’t been the only one who suffered throughout those seven months. Simon wasn’t exactly fond of Jaceand since  Alec wasn’t Clary’s biggest fan, maybe that’s why the two of them had started this weird friendship that consisted in Alec rolling his eyes and Simon babbling about comics or movies, or worse, movies based in comics.

It had been just a matter of time until their parents discovered it. For coincidences of this life, Maryse decided to pick up her children to go to the movies and Luke that day had also decided to pass for a coffee and catch up with Elaine (Simon’s mom).

Luke had known there was something between Jace and Clary, how could he not? He was a detective and Alec was sure Simon would have told him if Clary hadn’t. The fact that Luke knew just made it all worse and when he tried to reason with Maryse she took it as a personal offense. She had prohibited Jace from seeing Clary or leaving the house for anything besides school.

Jace, who never had been one to follow the rules, still talked with Clary every night after their parents were asleep. However, talking to her wasn’t enough for Jace so he sneaked out, successfully thanks to Izzy and Alec’s help, to see Clary. It was the one time that Jace sneaked out by himself that he got caught.

Long story short, there was a balcony and a broken arm, because Jace wasn’t as nimble as he liked to believe. Alec wasn’t joking about the Shakespearean parody.

Robert, who hadn’t say a word in the matter until that moment, made it clear to Maryse that he wasn’t risking the wellbeing of one of his children for resentments of the past. Jace wasn’t giving up on Clary and she stood in the same position regarding Jace, so there was no point in opposing to their relationship; they were just teenagers, after all. How serious could they be?

After three years of relationship, it became pretty obvious the Lightwoods and the Fray-Garroway-Lewis family mix were stuck together for a long ride.

Then, an idea had occurred to Clary and Simon; a ‘friendship tournament’. The tournament started as an olive branch and an endeavor to unite both families  - or at least to make their relationship a more civilized one.

Luke loved Clary immensely and wanted nothing more than seeing her happy. He also believed that it was about time to leave the past where it belonged and move on. Maryse’s competitive nature and the need to distract her mind from her recent divorce made her accept.

The only thing Alec questioned himself was why couldn’t they propose a silent tournament instead?  

Frankly, Alec just wanted that day to end. He felt utterly exhausted and even when he loved children, Alec just wanted them at that moment to be still in their seats, stop shouting and eat whatever was in today’s menu.

Alec massaged his temple with his index and middle fingers in a vain attempt to ease the pain.

“Alexander, are you alright?” asked Magnus, close to his ear, so he could listen to him over the noise in the dining hall. Alec turned his head to look at him.

In fact, his headache was so bad that Alec hadn’t even paid attention to Magnus in the last ten minutes.

“Yeah, it’s only a headache.” Alec tried to give Magnus a smile to hopefully erase his furrowed brow. Alec would have loved to have pondered about how even more beautiful Magnus was from up close if the throbbing in his head would let him think of something besides drums.

Alec left hand felt suddenly warm and when his eyes looked for the source heat, they found a tan hand with burgundy polished nails above his.

“Why don’t you go to the infirmary for an aspirin?” Magnus suggested with a tiny smile that made his face incredibly soft.Alec almost forgot of a migraine for a second.

“I’m fine.” Alec reassured him.

A sudden pop of a balloon from the table behind them made jumped Alec slightly and he couldn’t hide his wince; the popping of the balloon echoing in his head and amplifying his headache tenfold.

“Go, I’ll take care of the little monsters.” Magnus winked and squeezed his hand. Alec had forgotten Magnus was holding it. His touch felt too natural, the way his fingers curled over his and even though Magnus’s skin was smooth Alec could feel the strength in those hands.

Alec forced himself to stop thinking about Magnus’s hands and went to the infirmary.

It had been weeks since he had had a migraine. Really stressful situations triggered them,  which was weird because he wasn't near his limit of how much pressure he could handle before the pain attacked.

When Alec arrived to the infirmary he didn't see Lindsay in her usual spot. In any other situation, he would have waited until she returned, but Alec didn't feel like waiting today. He went to the drawers where he knew where medication was kept and grabbed an Ibuprofen or two. Lindsay wouldn't mind. He grabbed one of the water bottles in the mini fridge and swallowed the two pills with a sip of water.

Now, he had to go back but the idea didn’t sound appealing at all. Maybe he could take a little break, just ten minutes to rest the eyes and he'd be back.

He laid on the couch that was located in front of the desk and closed his eyes. The only sound that reached the infirmary where the hum of cicadas and Alec found it incredibly lulling. The pain in his head was still there, but more like a numbing sensation than the drilling from before. He must have drifted off, because the next time he opened his eyes there were curious brown eyes looking at him from underneath frizzy curls that hadn't been there before.

“Hey.” he said in a drowsy voice.

The little girl hid behind the arm of the couch as soon as she realized her object of study had woken up. Alec straightened up and passed a hand through his hair trying to tame it a little.

The girl warily peeped over the arm of the couch. Alec smiled at her. The last thing he wanted to do was intimidate her. “Are you looking for Lindsay?” The girl shook her head shyly, still shielded by the piece of furniture.

Alec looked around the room and glanced at the clock on the wall. His eyes widened. His ten minutes break had become an hour!

A part of his brain registered voices approaching but he didn’t pay them any attention, too occupied worrying over the time. Alec was about to stand up and leave the infirmary when he finally recognized the voices.

Magnus was leaned on the doorframe, Alec couldn’t help but notice that his back was so broad that it covered the majority of the door frame.

Alec’s mouth was suddenly dry.

The little girl ran towards the woman that accompanied Magnus and hugged her waist. The woman — a nurse from Lycan, judging by her scrubs— was tall and her skin was a couple of shades darker than the girl’s tawny brown. The woman caressed the girls’ hair and that sole gesture was full of fondness.

“How are you feeling, sleeping beauty?” asked Magnus, sitting next to him.

Before he could answer the woman next to him spoke.

“Magnus told me you didn’t feel well. May I help you with something?” Her expression made Alec uncomfortable. She looked at him with a clinical eye, which shouldn’t be strange since that was her job, but there was something else there. It seemed, almost, like if she were evaluating _him_ and not his condition.

“Oh, thank you. I feel better.”

The woman, Catarina according to her badge, nodded and went to sit behind the desk, the girl taking a seat on her lap.

Alec turned to Magnus with an apologetic look on his face, his eyes went back to the clock on the wall and he remembered. “Shit!” Alec panicked for a moment, fearing the girl had listened to him, but the child seemed to be in her own world, watching something in a tablet and with headphones on, unaware of Alec’s swearing. “I was supposed to be at the range twenty minutes ago.”

“I know. Simon is substituting you.” Magnus calmed him. “Now, let's go.”

Magnus stood up and waved in goodbye to Catarina, Madzie was still absorbed in her tablet. Alec went behind him, as soon as they were outside of the infirmary he started to apologize. “Sorry, Magnus. I lied down for a minute and fell asleep. It wasn't my intention to leave you with all the work.”

“It’s okay, nothing to apologize for. But...” Magnus added when he realized Alec was going to refuse, “If you insist, you can always make it up to me.”

“How?”

Alec might be overreacting, but he didn't want Magnus to believe he was unprofessional or that he was taking advantage of his kindness.

Magnus pretended to think about it. “Well, you can come to the counselors' campfire.”

“But I’m already going.” was Alec immediate response.

Magnus stopped walking and so did Alec. Magnus took a step forward, closing the space between them, but still leaving enough distance that Alec didn’t feel like his personal space was invaded. “I know. What I meant is that you come  to the campfire _with me_.” Magnus’s voice was as soft as velvet and Alec thought he could fall asleep listening to that voice.

He shook the idea out of his head, he couldn’t have that kind of thoughts in front of Magnus. Thoughts of Magnus embracing him and whispering words in his ear that made his heart warm.

Magnus should have noticed Alec’s discomfort because he restarted his walking. “So… I see, you met Madzie.” he commented, trying to check the topic.

Alec nodded, walking by his side. “Who’s she?”

“Cat’s daughter.” Magnus said.

“And what’s she doing here?” Alec realized, as soon as the words left his mouth, how accusing they sounded. “I mean, why is she here, in the infirmary instead of playing with other children.”

“Madzie… is really shy. She doesn’t leave the infirmary without a fight.” Alec couldn’t picture little Madzie with her cute piggy tails making a tantrum. , Alec looked over at Magnus and he could tell he was debating whether or not to tell him something.. When Magnus spoke again, his tone was weary,“Cat adopted Madzie two years ago and she has had some problems adjusting to her new life. Children used to bully her, because of her scars.” Alec listened attentively. He had noticed Madzie's scars and didn’t want to ask Magnus what had happened. It didn’t feel right. “So it’s difficult for her to meet new people and make friends.”

“I see.”

Magnus sighed.“I have to check something with Clary. She should be in gymnastics right now.” said Magnus, pointing with his thumb at the gym behind them from where cheers and laughs were audible.

“And I still have to go to the range, so I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Then, tonight?” asked Magnus hopefully and Alec realized he hadn’t answered Magnus’s question. If Alec hadn’t known him, he would think Magnus was nervous about hearing his answer.

“Tonight.” agreed Alec, giving Magnus an easy smile that was returned.

 


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The campfire and something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the kudos to my beta, [bcnedrah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcnedrah/works) for always telling me when there were things off, this would have been shit without her.  
> **Lyrics from "Bad Liar".

"What could possibly happen next?

Can we focus on the love?"

Most of the counselors were at the campfire, as some had preferred to go to the town or had stayed in their cabins. Still, the site was crowded. There were food and sweets on tables, music playing from someone's iPod and some people were dancing. Everybody there seemed to be having a good time and Alec did his best to relax, he really did.  
“You wanna dance?” Magnus asked him little after they arrived.  
“Dancing is not really my thing.” said Alec, not very keen on the idea of making a fool of himself in Magnus's presence.  
Magnus gave him a soft smile. He was always so patient with Alec and it just made everything more difficult. “No dancing then.”

Alec barely talked, opting to listen to Magnus. He had a melodic voice and Alec never wanted him to stop talking. That was a first as Alec usually couldn’t stand people talking for too long He found them self-absorbed, arrogant or simply annoying; not even his siblings were the exception to this rule. But Magnus… Magnus was his exception for everything. Or almost everything because no matter how much he wanted he wasn’t able to just let go and enjoy the moment.

“You want some?” asked Magnus, offering him a s’more.

“No, thanks.” he answered, trying to keep a certain distance between them. The closer Magnus got the harder was for him to keep his feelings at bay.

“More for me.” Magnus shrugged, eating the s’more in one bite. Alec had problems tearing his eyes away from Magnus’s lips.

“Alec!” Izzy called out behind him in a strained voice. “Come with me, I need you for… something. Don’t worry, Magnus, I’ll bring him back in a minute.”

“Don’t worry Isabelle. I understand.” Magnus’s words were gentle, but Alec saw the genuine disappointment in his eyes.

Izzy dragged him by the arm away from the tables to where they could talk without all half of the camp listening to them.

“What are you doing, Alec?” Izzy asked in a whispered hiss, but somehow Alec felt like if she were yelling at him. Izzy’s lips were pursed, clearly unpleased with something Alec had done.”Why are you acting like that?” “Like what?” 

“Like an idiot.”

“And why, oh dear sister, am I an idiot?”

“I didn't say you were an idiot. I said you're acting like one. You’ve barely said a word in all the night and every time he tries to get closer to you, you jump like a frightened kitten.” Izzy poured some apple juice in a plastic cup and kept  _ scolding  _ him while doing it. “All this tug-of-war between you and Magnus is pretty cute, even entertaining,  but when will you make a move?”

“I don't know what you are talking about.”

“I'm talking about your feelings for him.” Alec switched his weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortable with this conversation and looking forward to it to finish. “What? Was it supposed to be a secret? Sorry to disappoint you, big brother, but you're a terrible actor.”

Alec sighed. It was impossible trying to keep something from Izzy. She always knew.

“We have what five-six weeks at most?”

“Exactly, so you better stop messing around and make the most of them.”

“You make it sound so easy, but then what? I return to New York and Magnus to Indonesia?”

“We can’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow. Stop worrying about the future and live in the present, Alec. Wonderful things are happening right now.”

“Have you seen the news lately?”

Izzy gave him an exasperated look.“You know what I meant. I’m not telling you to marry Magnus, though he’d look damn good in the family portrait.” Alec chuckled at that. “What I’m saying is— this may be worth a chance. Maybe it’ll work, maybe it won’t, but at least you’ll know.” Izzy put a hand on his forearm and squeezed in a show of support.“Stop overthinking things and act,  _ hermano.  _ Also, I’m not willing to put up another year of you pining over Magnus. Make a move or I’ll do it for you.”

Alec really hoped Izzy wasn’t being serious about that,  because he knew his sister and she was more than capable of doing it. He sighed, frustrated.Flirting was fun, but what would have been the point? A fling, summer love?Magnus was the kind of person Alec will fall would fall for. It wasn’t a matter of  _ if  _ but  _ when _ . 

“You’re right.” he said, resolved and didn’t need to add anything more. Izzy got it.

She patted his shoulder and left to go head over to Simon and Raphael.

Alec looked around the campfire, searching for Magnus, but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. “Have you seen Magnus?” he asked Lydia, who was passing by.

“I think he said something about being tired and left.”

“Ok, thank you.” he said, already walking towards the cabin.  _ You screwed up again, Alec. _ said a voice in his mind that sounded a lot like Izzy’s.

  


 

When Alec made it to the cabin, it was dark pitch. There weren’t any signs of someone being there, except for a dim light reflecting on the window. He entered and sitting on the bed next to the window with his legs crossed was Magnus. When Magnus saw him, he straightened up.

Alec and Magnus were the only ones in their cabin, everyone else was all at the campfire. At least, there weren’t prying eyes.

“Are you alright?” Alec asked tentatively, leaning on the wall.

Magnus avoided to his gaze and started to look for something in a bag. “Yes, I’m fine… just tired. Today was exhausting, you know.” said Magnus, his voice tinged with bitterness. He took a wet wipe from the bag and began to remove his makeup.

“Did I say something, or do something?” 

“No, Alexander, it’s really nothing.” 

“Are you sure? Because—” Magnus lifted two fingers and Alec shut up. 

Alec hated feeling like this like he had hurt or offended Magnus in some way and had no idea of how to fix it.

“The only thing I want is you to be straight with me.” Magnus tried to laugh at his own joke, but it came out more like a strangled noise. “If you are not interested… you can just say so.” 

Alec startled when he heard those words. How could Magnus think that? “Of course I’m interested!” said Alec, bewildered. “Why do you think I’m not?”

Magnus sighed and something in his expression made him look older. To Alec, Magnus had always seemed older than his actual age; not physically, but Magnus was an old soul. There was wisdom in his words underneath the layers of innuendos and jokes. 

“I know you don’t want to hurt my feelings, Alec.” _Alec, not_ _Alexander._ “But, for me, it’s obvious you don’t want something beyond a friendship with me and I understand. Really. And your friendship is something I appreciate and that I would like to keep. I’m sorry if I misinterpreted your intentions.”

Alec kept quiet, waiting for Magnus to say all that he needed to say.

“Usually, when I try to touch you, you flinch or when I’m flirting with you, you get uncomfortable and just ignore it.” Magnus crossed his arm, like bracing himself for an attack. “I still had some hope though, so I decided to invite you out tonight. Maybe if we were in an environment that is familiar to you, you could relax and I don’t know… have a good time. But when your sister came to rescue you from me, it was pretty obvious how you felt about the whole situation.”

“Rescue me?” Alec was speechless, his brain was incapable of processing Magnus’s words “No! No, that’s not what happened. At all.” He swallowed the lump in his throat, to say the words he knew he needed to say. “What Izzy did was called me out and told me to stop lollygagging around with the guy I like.”

“What?”

Alec took a deep breath and sat next to Magnus in the bed. Magnus’s look was so open that Alec knew he couldn’t answer with anything besides the truth. 

“I like you, Magnus. I really do. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever liked someone as much as I like you.” 

“Then why?Why were you acting like that?” Alec saw Magnus’s expression morph from surprise to confusion. “Were you playing hard to get? Because if that was the case, let me tell you-you were doing an amazing job.”

Alec chuckled. “No, that was me being an idiot. I thought that keeping our distance was the best, so when we left it wouldn’t hurt so much.”

“And now you don’t think that?” 

Alec shook his head.

“For now, I’ll leave the future where it belongs.” whispered Alec. “I don’t want to miss  _ this  _ present.”

Alec’s hand looked for Magnus’s and he found it. Magnus, slowly but sure intertwined their fingers and Alec couldn’t help but smile. 

They looked into the other's eyes for god know how much time. Magnus was asking him without words to take the last step, but it was until Magnus asked him with words, in a soft “ _ Kiss me”  _ that Alec did it. 

He leaned in and placed his free hand on Magnus’ shoulder, holding onto him for dear life.

They kissed there, in an old cabin, it wasn’t by any means the most romantic backdrop but backdrops had little importance, they were just ornaments. In fiction they needed to make up with beautiful gardens the things that are invisible to the audience but when you are there…

Alec was pretty sure he could be kissing Magnus at the Gardens of Versailles and it wouldn’t make any difference, because either way he wouldn’t be aware of anything besides Magnus, of his hand clenching on his waist and his nose brushing against his cheek, the sweetness of his lips and the heat in his eyes when they crossed to a beat later sink on each other lips again.

Magnus’s eyes excelled any Wonder of the World. 


	3. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a last minute epilogue that I decided to write and all the mistakes you may find here are totally my doing, my beta ([bcnedrah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcnedrah/works)) didn't even have a chance to check it, but the archery pun is hers ;).  
> Thank you for reading and brace yourselves for the fluff.  
> I dedicate this epilogue to [stupidnephilimlove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupidnephilimlove/works) because she needs the fluff.  
> *Lyrics from "Bad Liar".

I see how your attention builds

It's like looking in a mirror

Your touch like a happy pill

Magnus arrived at their meeting place fifteen minutes before the agreed time.

“We are not going to the campfire.” Alec smiled and the corners of his eyes wrinkled. Magnus’s breath hitched. “I told you I’d make it up to you. For real, this time.”

Magnus couldn’t hide his satisfied smile. “Okay, where are we going then?” he asked, hooking up his arm with Alec’s.

Magnus still couldn’t believe it, it hadn’t been even twenty-four hours since he thought he had zero chances with Alec but then Alec had reached, kissed him and now they were going on a date. A real date.

“It’s a surprise.” was all that Alec said and Magnus didn’t miss how the man was trying to suppress a smile, judging by how the corners of his mouth were slightly trembling,

“A nocturnal picnic?” Questioned Magnus, giving a look to the wicker basket in Alec’s free hand.

Alec shrugged. “Anytime is a good time for a picnic.”

Magnus only smiled in response.

They walked for five minutes more or so, Magnus wasn’t sure in which part of the camp they were, he had never seen it but there was all kind of fruit and flowering trees. The air smelled like lemon, night-blooming jasmine, and earth.

There were lanterns hanging from one of the trees as fireflies lighting up the place, it was just seven p.m but the sky was already dark.

“Well, here we are.” Said Alec, walking backwards and opening his arms as to present the tree.

Alec got a blanket from the basket and extended it under the tree.

Both of them sat on the blanket, the basket between them and Alec started to take the food out of the basket; there was fruit, brownies, paninis and grape juice. Magnus was sure that the butterflies in his stomach were trying to make a revolution.

“Did you make all of this?

“Yes. I thought you could be hungry.”  Alec commented casually, opening up the juice and pouring it into their glasses.

“That’s very thoughtful of you.” Magnus smiled at Alec since last night he couldn’t erase the smile of his face. He looked stupid or that’s what Raphael had told him at least five times before he left the cabin to meet Alec.

“Yeah… I asked Izzy some help with the decoration. Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful.” The night and the place were indeed beautiful but nothing could ever compare to Alec’s radiant smile and hopeful, clear, hazel eyes.

Magnus leaned forward, just a little, letting clear his intention and Alec’s lips found him mid-way.

Alec kissed him, slow, and Magnus let him dictate the pace. A warm feeling traveled through Magnus’s body, when they pulled away, both were smiling.

Magnus took his glass of juice and raised it. “To the present.”

“To us.” said Alec, raising his glass as well.

The barrier separating them had disappeared last night. No, it didn’t disappear, they had decided to tear it down.

They ate and laughed and talked. Magnus told Alec about his mother and how much he loved her, how brave she had been while she had been, an adolescent single mom with no one with one that lent her a hand.

Probably these weren’t the kind of things to talk in a first date, too personal, too serious but it didn’t feel weird but the opposite. Magnus realized that he didn’t feel sad or worried about telling this intimate part of his life to Alec, maybe melancholic, but he also felt free, lighter, letting himself be Magnus, the pretty and not so pretty parts.

They had already moved to lighter topics when an evening breeze made Alec shiver. Magnus realized that Alec was only wearing a thin gray long-sleeve shirt. Even when it was summer, nights were usually chilly.

“Oh, I see what you did here.” teased Magnus, narrowing his eyes. “You left your jacket on purpose, so I would have to hug you. Let me tell you a thing, Alexander, it worked.”

Alec squeaked at the accusation, his cheeks were so furiously blushed that Magnus could feel the heat when he wrapped his arms around Alec’s shoulders and his faces were apart just by a hairbreadth.

Alec fidgeted a little in his arms and Magnus started to move away. “Oh, you don’t want me to hug you?” He would never do something Alec felt uncomfortable with.

“No!” Alec grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket. “I mean, yes. I want you to hug me.”

That blush Magnus had grown so fond of covered Alec’s face again. “Really?” Magnus smirked.

Alec just rolled his eyes and poked him in the cheek. “Really.” He said and pulled Magnus’s arms tighter around him. It wasn’t the most comfortable position; Alec was sat between his legs and had thrown his long long limbs over one of Magnus’s, who was leaned against the three in a weird posture and a part of his brain, the rational one, told him he should move or his back would ache tomorrow but he couldn’t bring himself move.

If Alec in his arms was a dream, he wasn’t risking to wake up.

Magnus wondered if it was possible to feel that much happiness. Alec looked up at him from his place and kissed Magnus cheek as if it was nothing. _Yes_ , he thought, drowning in emerald pools, it’s possible to be this hhappy.

 

 

 

Next day, they got to pass some time together, even if little because they were there to work after all. Everyone’s activities finished early that day, since had started raining, outdoors activities were out of the question. Maryse and Luke suggested an afternoon movie, some of the children were in their cabins but most of them were in the gym where it was being projected _High School Musical._

They didn’t need all the counselors. So Isabelle, Simon, Alec, Magnus and (surprisingly) Raphael had gone to spend some time in a covered area of the archery range, they took some snacks and sodas from the kitchen and chatted while Alec and Simon were competing to see who could hit the bullseye more times.

“I hear an arrow never flies straight, is that right?” Magnus murmured in Alec’s ear when it was Simon’s turn. Alec visibly shivered. Good, that was the reaction Magnus was looking for.

Alec turned to face him. “It is, that's why I'm so good at it.”

“My, my, Alexander Lightwood flirting back! Never thought I would get to see it.” Magnus laughed out loud, genuinely amused and Alec was smiling, one of those lopsided smiles that made Magnus’s knees weak.

Alec intertwined their fingers, warmth spread inside his body as everytime Alec touched him or was close to him and pecked him on the lips and before he went to make his shoot.

He was too far gone for this man, and at this point, Magnus didn’t care one bit.

“You are pathetic.” Raphael stood by his side and crossed his arms over his chest, this wasn’t the first time he told him that so Magnus let it go. Although, why don’t mess with his friend a little?

Alec could look incredibly hot, all focus and control and accuracy while doing his thing but Magnus didn’t quite get archery.

“You have been very chatty today, Raphael. I was surprised when you told us you were coming with us Who are you looking at, Raph?” Raphael grimaced and changed his weight from one foot to the other. “It could be Isabelle… or Salomon?” Magnus asked Raphael and he seemed to realize in that moment that he had been staring them because he stopped doing it at the moment Magnus mentioned their names.  “They seem closer these days, don’t you think?”

Raphael gave him a furious gaze.

“Shut up, Bane.”

Magnus just let out a laughter.

The rest of the summer passed in a blur full of laughs, nonsensical conversations and hidden kisses and holding. Everything was good and pure here, idyllic and they never wanted it to end, but it did.

“So, until next summer?” Alec stood in front of him with his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and his lips pressed tight in a line.

They had been avoiding this moment; the goodbye, the _what do we do now?_ They hadn't labeled their relationship but both had left clear that they were in one.

“Maybe don’t…” Alec’s face saddened and Magnus couldn’t stand that expression in Alec’s beautiful face. “You know, I applied for an internship in one of my favorite magazines and I got it!”

“That’s amazing Magnus!” Alec wrapped in a tight hug that was too short Magnus liking but they tangled their pinkies, not letting go completely. “In Indonesia?”

Magnus shook his head.

“Actually, it’s abroad.” He paused dramatically, waiting for Alec’s reaction. “New York.”

“Oh.”

“Oh, indeed… but I’m a little worried, you know.” Magnus said, closing their distance. “I’ve been in New York before twice but only as a tourist. I think I could use some guidance.”

“I could be your guide,” suggested Alec, taking Magnus’s hand in his. “When start your internship?”

“In January but I’ll be there since early December.”

Four months.

“Four months,” repeated Alec in such a low voice that Magnus could only hear him because of their proximity. That was all Alec said and then kept quiet for about five minutes, or what Magnus felt like five minutes, and his confidence was starting to falter when Alec’s face was illuminated with one the most beautiful smiles Magnus had ever seen. “I already waited a year _and_ a half summer. Four months are nothing” shrugged Alec, nonchalant.

 


End file.
